Prospects in the application of ultrasensitive chromosomal aneuploidy detection in precancerous lesions of gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is a prevalent malignant tumor within the digestive system, with over 40% of new cases and deaths related to GC globally occurring in China. Despite advancements in treatment modalities, such as surgery supplemented by adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapeutic agents, the prognosis for GC remains poor. New targeted therapies and immunotherapies are currently under investigation, but no significant breakthroughs have been achieved. Studies have indicated that GC is a heterogeneous disease, encompassing multiple subtypes with distinct biological characteristics and roles. Consequently, personalized treatment based on clinical features, pathologic typing, and molecular typing is crucial for the diagnosis and management of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer (PLGC). Current research has categorized GC into four subtypes: Epstein-Barr virus-positive, microsatellite instability, genome stability, and chromosome instability (CIN). Technologies such as multi-omics analysis and gene sequencing are being employed to identify more suitable novel testing methods in these areas. Among these, ultrasensitive chromosomal aneuploidy detection (UCAD) can detect CIN at a genome-wide level in subjects using low-depth whole genome sequencing technology, in conjunction with bioinformatics analysis, to achieve qualitative and quantitative detection of chromosomal stability. This editorial reviews recent research advancements in UCAD technology for the diagnosis and management of PLGC.

PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2 pathways are responsible for sodium butyrateinduced inhibition of neuronal apoptosis in rats with cerebral infarction

The aim of this study was to elucidate the neuronal protection effect of sodium butyrate (NaB) on neuronal apoptosis in rats with cerebral infarction (CI), and the involvement of the phosphatidilinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) and extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) pathways. MI model in rats was performed by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Three hours after reperfusion, gastric administration of 5 or 10 mg/kg NaB was performed. Neurological deficit score, infarct size and brain edema were evaluated in rats after 24 h of reperfusion. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was conducted to determine contents of oxidative stress factors. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, cell viability and apoptosis in extracted neurons were determined. Moreover, expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, Akt and ERK1/2 were examined. NaB treatment markedly reduced infarct size and brain edema content in CI rats, and NaB treatment improved viability, decreased LDH activity and reversed contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, NaB treatment dose-dependently reduced apoptotic rate and Bax level, as well as enhanced Bcl-2 level. Protein levels of Akt and ERK1/2 were markedly upregulated in NaB-treated neurons. NaB treatment alleviates neuronal apoptosis via the PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2 pathways in CI rats, thus protecting the deterioration of CI.

[Correlation of changes in serum zinc with serum proteins and alkaline phosphatase in rabbits with burns]

We report herein the correlation of changes in serum zinc with serum proteins, serum alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity and body weight in 15% TBSA I. burned rabbits. Serum zinc concentration reduced immediately from 181.4 to 112.4 micrograms/dl, then gradually increased and finally approached normal on 15 postburn day. Similar changes were found in serum AKP activity. AKP activity in the burned group was much lower than that in the control group. Total serum protein and albumin contents were significantly reduced and was not recovered to normal levels on 15 postburn day. Serum albumin/globulin decreased but without a turnover. Body weight dropped to a minimum on 9 postburn day and was recovered on 15 postburn day. These results reveal a correlation of serum zinc concentration with serum protein, suggesting that zinc is closely related to protein synthesis. We conclude that serum AKP activity could be used as a diagnostic criterion of postburn hypozincemia as well as an index to assess the effectiveness of supplemental zinc in burns.

Endoscopic diagnosis of gastric cancer: an analysis of 872 cases in China

Endoscopic examination was performed on 15,888 selected cases between 1974 and 1981 in Hunan Province of China. Eight hundred and seventy-two cases (5.5%) of gastric cancer were suspected endoscopically. Twenty-seven of these 872 cases (3.1% of total gastric cancers) were early gastric cancers. Six hundred and seventy-one of the 872 cases were further investigated, and 661 were proved, giving a 98.5% positive rate. The authors collected a total of 92,190 endoscopic examination cases in China; 7,379 cases (8.0%) were gastric cancer, and 219 of these 7,379 were early cases (3% of all gastric cancer). The results compared with the reports from the United States, Europe, and Japan show that the incidence of gastric cancer and detection of early gastric cancer by endoscopy were much lower in China, the United States, and Europe than in Japan.